1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a firearm safety system for prevention of undesired or unauthorized discharge of a firearm by a person other than the authorized person.
2. Background of the Invention
One of the biggest concerns in American Society today is gun control. These concerns include accidental shootings, the use of guns by children, possession of firearms by criminals, and the shooting of police officers and law enforcement agents with the officer or agent""s weapon in the line of duty.
Over the years, there have been numerous attempts to improve gun safety by use of mechanical safety locks. Some of the initial attempts at safety were by the design of trigger locks. The trigger lock is traditionally operated by a key and prevents the firearm from being used unless the lock is removed. However, if someone has access to the key, the trigger lock can be removed and the firearm discharged. Accordingly, it does not eliminate firearm use by a child or intruder. Furthermore, if the lock is not used, the firearm may be discharged by anyone who has access to the firearm.
In addition to trigger locks, additional anti-theft alarm devices have been developed utilizing motion sensors and alarms. Dragon, U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,234, disclosed a firearm locking device with a motion sensor and alarm that incorporated a self-conforming trigger lock which prevented access to the trigger and unauthorized operation of the firearm. The lock had a clamp and an alarm which housed a motion sensor for detection of movement of the firearm and activation of the alarm. If the firearm was moved, the device would generate an audible alarm sound whose object was to frighten or deter the thief.
In Torii, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,151, a repository for a firearm was described which operated in conjunction with a system which generated a signal upon an emergency or unauthorized opening of the repository. The signal was generated at a remote location and indicated whether the firearm had been accessed and/or removed either in an intended manner, under an emergency situation or duress.
In addition to locking devices, firearms have been designed with devices to prevent the firearm from discharging absent acknowledgment of an authorized user. Harling, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,844 disclosed a system based on safety system utilizing a coded signal worn by the authorized user. The system utilizes a transceiver which is activated by movement of the trigger at which time a coded signal is received by a remote token which receives the coded signal and transmits a signal for verification of the user and authorization to fire the weapon. If the signal was not received, the firearm would not discharge when needed, thus possibly endangering an officer or citizen in need of self defense.
Identification systems utilizing personalized code keys, palm and/or finger prints, and voice recognition have also been developed. In Mickel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,840 the use of a personalized code key which is inserted into the handle of a weapon was utilized. The code key is carried by an authorized user and inserted into the handle of the weapon to allow the weapon to be fired. The risk with this system is that an unauthorized person, such as a child, has the possibility of obtaining the code key, then operating the firearm.
Bowker, U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,557 describes the use of finger prints for authorized users of the firearm. Brentzel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,936 uses pressure and scanning sensors for the reading of palm prints for authorization of predetermined users.
Meanwhile, Winer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,957 utilized voice recognition technology to enable and disable the firearm. Until verification is received through voice recognition, the firearm remains in a disabled state.
Some of the drawbacks to the voice recognition and palm/finger print recognition safety systems involve the possibility of rejection of the user due to variations in the biometric sample. For example, a police officer may encounter a situation where he may be unable to speak, or due to excessive perspiration on the sensing device, the palm or finger print verification system may not operate correctly and may prevent needed use of the firearm by its rightful operator.
For the foregoing reasons, what is needed is a firearm safety system which allows only authorized users to discharge the firearm, but avoids the disadvantages of the prior systems.
The present invention is directed to a firearm safety system that satisfies the need for improved gun safety by allowing firearms to be discharged only by authorized users. The system comprises a computer chip which is implanted into the human anatomy, and a firearm which has a safety switch operable between a first position preventing discharge of the firearm and a second position allowing discharge of the firearm.
This invention provides a firearm safety system which utilizes a coded computer chip which is implanted into the authorized user""s finger or hand for identification and verification of the user. The information from the coded computer chip is received by a sensor connected to the firearm and the information is processed by a computer. If the information received from the computer chip matches that of an authorized user, the firearm can then be discharged by that authorized user.
This is accomplished by the implantation of a computer chip in the authorized user""s finger or anatomy, and a sensor, memory unit and processor within the firearm. Upon the sensors receipt of an authorized signal from the computer chip which is processed by the processor the firearm will discharge.
The safety switch is controlled by a processor which is connected to a sensor for receiving a signal from the computer chip, and a memory unit for storing authorization codes representative of the signal received from the computer chip of authorized users. The coded signal received from the computer chip is compared to the authorization codes stored in the memory unit.
If a signal is not received by the sensor or if the coded signal does not match the authorization code within the memory unit, the safety switch will remain in the first position preventing the firearm from discharging. If the coded signal received from the computer chip by the sensor matches the authorization code stored in the memory unit, the processor will cause the safety switch to move to the second position which allows the firearm to be discharged.